Electoral Reforms and Voter Turnout

• In Event: Measurement Choices and Challenges in Election Administration

Abstract

Numerous research has sought to understand the effects of electoral reforms by the states on voter turnout, yet the findings on voter ID requirement, early in-person voting, and vote by mail are mixed and inconclusive. This study improves upon the previous research by taking all major reforms into consideration and using a triple difference-in-differences method. Our approach enables to reveal, in particular, (1) whether each electoral reform individually or collectively affects turnout and (2) who is more affected by each reform, after controlling for state-year specific variations.

Authors

• Jan E. Leighley, American University

• Tetsuya Matsubayashi, Osaka University